Smriti Mandhana was recently appointed captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team. For India captain Mithali Raj feels Smriti Mandhana has all the qualities to lead Team India at the highest level. The legendary batter said India needs a fresh mindset. That was clearly visible. In fact, the decision could have come earlier, perhaps. Smriti has been the vice-captain for quite some time now, so she understands the team and the environment.
Mithali has played 232 ODIs and managed to score 7,805 runs, 89 T20Is with 2,364 runs, and 12 Tests with 699 runs. She holds the record for scoring the most runs in women's ODIs. Under her captaincy, Team India played in the 2005 and 2017 World Cup finals. She announced her retirement from international cricket on June 8 2022.
After retirement, the former India captain was involved in coaching and mentoring young players.
Smriti Mandhana as Captain in WPL and India
Smriti Mandhana led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win the WPL trophy in 2024 and 2026. Smriti also captained India in 18 T20Is, with 11 wins and won all 4 wins as captain in ODIs. She is known for her calm leadership style.
The 30-year-old batter has scored 11,000-plus runs in international cricket. She was the vice-captain of the India Women’s cricket team in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. India won this tournament by defeating South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai. The left-handed batter scored 434 runs in 9 games.
Mandhana will lead India's women's cricket team in the upcoming ODI and T20 home series against Zimbabwe this month. This is her first Series as full-time captain. The next ICC Champions Trophy will be the biggest assignment under her captaincy, which is set to take place next year from February 14 to February 28, 2027, in India.
To never miss cricket news, IPL head-to-head, live scores, ball-by-ball commentary and much more exciting content, watch Cricketsky daily. Here you can explore everything related to cricket. Follow this page daily to know all the news about your favourite player and team.
